ya

pronoun. which, that (relative pronoun)

The basic relative pronoun in Quenya, mostly used in inflected forms, such as: yassen tintilar i eleni “wherein the stars tremble” (LotR/377). See the entry on relative pronouns for further discusion.

Conceptual Development: The use of ᴱQ. ya as a relative pronoun dates back to the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/54), but for a period in the 1930s and 40s ᴹQ. ya was used more as a remote demonstrative (Ety/YA; PE23/96-98). See the entry on correlatives for more on this usage as of 1948.

yá

conjunction. when

A relative conjunction “when” appearing in various phrases in Tolkien’s writings of the 1950s and 60s, a vowel-lengthened form of the relative pronoun ya.

Conceptual Development: Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 had ᴹQ. í glossed “(relative) at the time mentioned, at the same time”, a vowel-lengthened form of the relative pronoun ᴹQ. i (PE23/109). This was also given the gloss “when, whenever” in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from this same period (PE22/121). Earlier still, ᴹQ. íre was used as the relative conjunction “when” in Fíriel’s Song of the 1930s. In the Early Qenya Grammar it seems ᴱQ. yan “when” served this function (PE14/59).

ya

which, what

ya (1) relative pronoun "which, what" (attested in VT43:28, 34 and in the Arctic sentence), with locative suffix in Namárië: see #yassë. According to VT47:21, ya is impersonal, "which" rather than "who(m)" (compare the personal form ye). The dative form yan (q.v.) is however used for "to whom" (rather than "to which") in one text, indicating that Tolkien did not always distinguish between personal and impersonal forms. In the phrase lúmessë ya [variant: yá**] firuvammë, "in [the] hour that we shall die", the relative pronoun is not explicitly marked for case and is evidently understood to share the case of the preceding noun (hence not lúmessë yassë**... "in [the] hour in which"...) (VT43:27-28) Presumably, ya has the plural form *yar* (e.g. i nati yar hirnen** "the things that/which I found").

yá

formerly

yá (1) adv.? "formerly", also postposition (?) "ago" (YA). The form yá also appears as a variant of the relative pronoun ya, q.v.

yá

when

yá (2) conj. "when" in the sentence yá hrívë tenë, ringa ná "when winter comes, it is cold" (VT49:23). Compare írë #2.

yávien

feminine name. Yávien

First child of Nolondil, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. Her name seems to be a compound of yávë “fruit” and the feminine suffix -ien. This name sometimes appeared as Yávië (UT/9).

yáva

yáva

yáva, yava see yávë

yámë

yawning

yámë adj.? "yawning" _(MC:214; cf. the stem YAG in the Etymologies)_. Not to be confused with the past tense of yam-.

yár

blood

yár (yar-, as in dat.sg. yaren) noun "blood"_ (YAR; the Silmarillion appendix gives _sercë instead. According to VT46:22, Tolkien introduced yór_ as a replacement form in the Etymologies itself.)_

yavanna

feminine name. Giver of Fruits, (lit.) Fruit-gift

Valië of the earth, spouse of Aulë, whose name was translated “Giver of Fruits” (S/27). This name is a compound of yávë “fruit” and the noun anna “gift” (SA/yávë, anna), so literally meant “fruit-gift” (PE17/93).

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/66), and ᴱQ. Yavanna appeared in the Qenya Lexicon as a derivative of the root ᴱ√ẎAVA along with other words having to do with “fruit” (LTA1/Yavanna, QL/105). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, ᴹQ. Yavanna appeared with the etymology given above (Ety/ANA¹, YAB). This etymology appeared in later writings as well (PE17/93).

yávië

noun. autumn, harvest [time or act]

A word translated “autumn, harvest” in The Lord of the Rings appendices (LotR/1111), clearly based on yávë “fruit”. This word referred to the third out of six “official” Elvish seasons in the Calendar of Imladris (LotR/1107), but could also be used more causally for the autumn time of the year (LotR/1111). Given its second gloss “harvest”, I think it can also refer to the time or act of harvesting of crops. However, for the harvest itself (the produce) I would instead use [ᴺQ.] salcessë.

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. Yāvan “(Autumn), Harvest” based on ᴱQ. yāva “fruit, produce” (QL/105). The English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s also had ᴱQ. yávan “autumn, harvest”, but in that document the word was deleted (QL/69).

yávë

noun. fruit

The Quenya word for “fruit”, most notably as an element in the name Yavanna “Giver of Fruits, (lit.) fruit-gift” (S/27; SA/yávë; PE17/93) and derived from the root ᴹ√YAB of similar meaning (Ety/YAB).

Conceptual Development: This word dates back to ᴱQ. yáva “fruit, produce” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√ẎAVA, already an element of Yavanna’s name (QL/105). The word reappeared as ᴹQ. yáve “fruit” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√YAB of the same meaning (Ety/YAB). In Quenya Prayers of the 1950s, the word appeared as yáva, yávë and yave (VT43/26-28).

Yavanna

fruit-gift

Yavanna, fem. name: Yav-anna, "Fruit-gift" (PE17:93) or "Fruit-giver", name of a Valië, spouse of Aulë, associated especially with plants (YAB, ANA1; cf. yávë)

Yávien

fruit

Yávien fem. name, apparently yávë "fruit" + the feminine ending -ien.

yalúmessë

once upon a time

yalúmessë noun in locative "once upon a time" (locative form of yalúmë) (YA)

yalúmëa

olden

yalúmëa adj. "olden" (YA)

yam-

shout

yam- or yama- vb. "shout" (PE16:134, yamin, *"I shout", QL:105), pa.t. yámë (QL:105)

yanda

wide

yanda adj. "wide" (PE17:115); variant of yána #1, q.v.

yassë

once upon a time

yassë (2) adv. "once upon a time" (YA); writers may rather use yalúmessë or yáressë of similar meaning to avoid confusion with # 1 above.

yána

vast, huge; wide

yána (1) adj. "vast, huge; wide" (PE17:99, 115); also yanda, q.v.

yána

holy place, fane, sanctuary

yána (2) noun "holy place, fane, sanctuary" (YAN). Compare ainas in a post-LotR source.

yára

ancient, belonging to or descending from former times

yára adj. "ancient, belonging to or descending from former times" (YA); evidently it can also simply mean "old", since Tolkien used the intensive/superlative form #anyára to describe Elaine Griffiths as his "oldest" or "very old" friend in a book dedication (see an-).

yáressë

once upon a time

yáressë noun in locative "once upon a time" (locative form of yárë) (YA)

yárë

former days

yárë noun "former days" (YA)

yárëa

olden

yárëa adj. "olden" (YA)

yávan

harvest, autumn

yávan noun "harvest, autumn" (LT1:273; in LotR-style Quenya yávië)

yávië

autumn

yávië noun "autumn" (SA:yávë); "autumn, harvest", in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 54 days, but also used without any exact definition (Appendix D). Noun yáviérë *"Autumn-day", a day outside the months in the Steward's Reckoning, inserted between Yavannië and Narquelië (September and October) (Appendix D)

yávë

fruit

yávë noun "fruit" (YAB), cf. Yavanna. Early "Qenya" has yáva (LT1:273); the form yava turns up even in later material (VT43:31)

yáwë

ravine, cleft, gulf

yáwë noun "ravine, cleft, gulf" (YAG; according to VT46:22, the last gloss should perhaps be read as "gully" instead)

yáranoldorin

proper name. Ancient Noldorin

A term for Old Noldorin appearing in linguistic notes from the 1930s and early 1950s (PE18/26, 76), a compound of yára “old” and Noldorin.

yan

adverb/conjunction. *as

@@@ possibly modal adverb

yassen tintilar i eleni

wherein the stars tremble

Last part of the sixth line @@@

yána

adjective. wide, vast, huge

yára

adjective. old, ancient, old, ancient, [ᴹQ.] belonging to or descending from former times

yárië

noun. age

yáviérë

noun. *autumn-day

yá hríve menë, ringa ná

when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold

yá tenn’ aldar lente landanóressë ólaner

when still trees grew free in a wide country

Yára-noldorin

noun. Old Noldorin

Old Noldorin

Yára-telerin

noun. Old Telerin

Old Telerin (of the days of Bliss)

Yáranoldorin

noun. Ancient Noldorin

Ancient Noldorin

yanda

adjective. wide

yáva

noun. *fruit

anyára

anyára

#anyára (attested with dative ending: anyáran), see an-, yára

Yávien

Yávien

Her name means "She of the Autumn" in Quenya (from yávië = "autumn" and -ien = feminine suffix).

yánë

noun. space (as a physical dimension)

A neologism for “space (as a physical dimension)” based on yána “vast, wide”. For example: “space and time” = yáne ar lúme. Paul Strack coined this neologism specifically for Eldamo to replace [ᴺQ.] nairë from the NQW based on naira “vast, wide, empty”, since that adjective based on a probably-abandoned root √ÑGAY.

yárahan

noun. older brother

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of yára “old” and háno “brother”, with longer variant yáraháno.

yáranet

noun. older sister

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of yára “old” and nésa “sister”, with longer variant yáranésa [þ].

yávelóra

adjective. fruitless

A neologism for “fruitless” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), a combination of yávë “fruit” and [ᴹQ.] -lóra “-less”.

yávinqua

adjective. fruitful

A neologism for “fruitful” from ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000s, a combination of yávë “fruit” and -inqua “-ful”.

yáraquetta

noun. archaism, archaic word

@@@ from Discord discussion 02/25/2022

yácina

adjective. sacrificed

hácala

adjective. yawning

An adjective for “yawning” appearing in the Markirya poem of the 1960s, probably an active participle of an otherwise unattested verb hac- or háca- “yawn” (MC/222).

Conceptual Development: In the version of the Markirya poem from around 1930, Tolkien used ᴱQ. yáme “yawning” (MC/214), replacing yape from the drafts of the poem (PE16/81).

hácala

yawning

hácala _("k") _participle "yawning" occurring in the Markirya poem, derived from an (otherwise unattested) verb #hac- "yawn". Compare yanga-.

-ien

daughter

-ien fem. ending in certain names like Yávien, Silmarien (q.v.) At one point -ien implied "daughter", see -iel above.

ainas

hallow, a fane

ainas noun "a hallow, a fane", perhaps with stem ainass- (PE17:149). Compare yána #2.

enderi

middle-days

enderi noun "middle-days" (sg. *enderë), in the calendar of Imladris three days inserted between the months (or seasons) yávië and quellë (Appendix D)

sercë

blood

sercë ("k")noun "blood" _(SA:sereg, PE17:184; the Etymologies gives _yár as the Quenya word for "blood")

yór

blood

yór noun "blood"; see yár (VT46:22)

Hesin

winter

Hesin noun "winter" (LT1:255; LotR-style Quenya has hrívë instead)

Yelin

winter

Yelin noun "winter" (LT1:260; LotR-style Quenya has hrívë, and Yelin was probably obsoleted together with the adjective yelwa_ "cold", that appears with a different meaning in the Etymologies)._

aira

old

aira (3) adj. "old" (MC:214; this is "Qenya")

enwina

old

enwina adj. "old" (Markirya)

hrívë

winter

hrívë noun "winter", in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 72 days, but also used without any exact definition (Appendix D). Yá hrívë tenë, ringa ná "when winter comes (arrives, is with us), it is cold" (VT49:23; Tolkien changed tenë to menë, p. 24). The word Hrívion, heading a section of the poem The Trees of Kortirion that has to do with the "fading time", would seem to be related (LT1:42)

ringa

cold

ringa adj. "cold" (Markirya); the Etymologies gives ringë (RINGI), but it seems that ringa is to be preferred (cf. Ringarë below). Yá hrívë tenë, ringa ná "when winter comes, it is cold" (VT49:23). According to VT46:11, Tolkien originally used the form ringa in Etym as well; later he would restore it. - In early "Qenya", ringa is glossed "damp, cold, chilly" (LT1:265)

yelwa

cold

yelwa (2) adj. "cold" (LT1:260 this "Qenya" word is apparently obsoleted by # 1 above. In LotR-style Quenya, the regular term for "cold" seems to be ringa.)

írë

when

írë (2) conj. "when" (subordinate conjunction, not question-word: írë Anarinya queluva, "when my sun faileth") (FS). Compare yá #2.

seldë

noun. daughter, daughter; [ᴹQ.] child [f.], *girl

This seems to be the word that Tolkien favored for “daughter” in his later writings (PE17/170; VT47/10; PE19/73), though it had competition from other forms like Q. yeldë.

Conceptual Development: The earliest word resembling this form was ᴱQ. sui “daughter” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SUẈU (QL/87), a word also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/87). This became ᴱQ. silde “daughter” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/135).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien experimented with several different forms. He had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL, but this entry was deleted (Ety/YEL). Tolkien also had a root ᴹ√SEL(D) “daughter” with a derivative ᴹQ. selde, but the meaning of this root was changed to “child”, and masculine and neuter forms ᴹQ. seldo and ᴹQ. selda were added to the entry (Ety/SEL-D). Finally, under the entry for ᴹ√YŌ or YON “son”, Tolkien added a primitive feminine variant ᴹ✶yēn or yend “daughter”, producing ᴹQ. yende and (suffixal?) yen (Ety/YŌ).

These vacillations continued in later writings, where at one point Tolkien wrote “Q[uenya] Wanted: Son, Daughter” (PE17/170). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien wrote Q. sel-de for “daughter”, but above it he wrote a variant form anel. In rough notes from around 1959 Tolkien explored a large number of masculine and feminine suffixes, and on the page he had yeldë “daughter”, though at the end of the sentence he wrote “also yen” (PE17/190). In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, Tolkien wrote selyë as a diminutive/affectionate word for “daughter”, with seltil as a play name for the fourth finger representing a daughter (VT47/10, 27).

Also of note is Tolkien’s Quenya name for S. Tinúviel “Daughter of Twilight”, which he generally represented as something like Q. Tindómerel < ✶Tindōmiselde. Tolkien was fairly consistent in this Quenya form starting in the 1930s (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33), with examples in the 1950s (PE19/73) and 1960s (VT47/37) as well. Indeed, in a couple cases he used this name to illustrate how medial s generally became z and eventually r in Quenya (PE19/33, 73), so it seems that for this name Tolkien consistently imagined the primitive form for “daughter” as ✶selde.

Neo-Quenya: I’d assume selde is the main word for “daughter” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but I’d assume a variant form yeldë, especially since -iel was the most common suffix for “daughter of”. This variant probably arose very early under the influence of √YON “son”.

sercë

noun. blood

A noun for “blood” appearing in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 derived from the root √SEREK of the same meaning (PE17/185). It appeared as an element in the word serkilixa “blood-thirsty” from 1968 (NM/176), indicating a stem form of serci-.

yeldë

noun. daughter

A less common Quenya word for “daughter”, an analog of Q. yondo “son”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL of the same meaning, but the meaning of the root was first changed to “friend”, and then the root was then deleted (Ety/YEL). Meanwhile, under the root ᴹ√YŌ or YON, Tolkien introduced a feminine variant ᴹQ. yende “daughter” along with (suffixal?) yen, derived from primitive ᴹ√yēn or yend (Ety/YŌ). Previously this yende/yendi form was a feminine agent, but Tolkien rejected that meaning (EtyAC/ƷAN).

In between yelde >> yende for “daughter” in The Etymologies, Tolkien considered using the form ᴹQ. selde, and in later writings this seems to be his preferred Quenya word for “daughter”. However, yeldë “daughter” was mentioned again briefly in rough notes from around 1959 (PE17/190), and -iel remained Tolkien’s preferred suffix for “daughter of”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I recommend seldë as the more common word for “daughter”, but assume yeldë also exists as variant due to the influence of yondo “son”; see the entries on seldë and the root √YE(L) for further discussion.

cermië

noun. harvest

A neologism for “harvest” coined by Petri Tikka in PPQ (PPQ) from the early 2000s inspired by Cermië “July”, but that meaning seems rather unlikely to me. I would use attested yávië for “harvest” instead.

hrívë

noun. winter

landa

adjective. wide, wide, [ᴱQ.] broad

ringa

adjective. cold, cold, [ᴱQ.] chilly; damp

-iel

daughter

-iel patronymic/matronymic ending -"daughter" (YEL, VT46:22-23) In the Etymologies, Tolkien struck out this ending and the corresponding independent word yeldë "daughter", changing them to -ien, yendë. However, the ending -iel later turns up in later forms: Uinéniel "Daughter of Uinen" in UT:182 and Elerondiel "daughter of Elrond" (Elerondo) in PE17:56. Hence it would seem that Tolkien changed his mind again and restored this ending, and perhaps the noun yeldë along with it. The form Elerondiel (from Elerondo) demonstrates that a final vowel is omitted before -iel.

Endien

autumn

Endien noun, alternative term for "autumn" (PM:135). In the Etymologies, the word Endien was assigned a quite different meaning: "Midyear, Midyear week", in the calendar of Valinor a week outside the months, between the sixth and seventh months, dedicated to the Trees; also called Aldalemnar (YEN, LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK)

Naira

vast, wide, empty

naira (2) adj. "vast, wide, empty" (PE17:27)

airita-

hallow

#airita- vb. "hallow" (only pa.t. airitánë is attested) (VT32:7)

anel

daughter

anel noun "daughter" (PE17:170), possibly intended by Tolkien as a replacement for seldë (q.v.). Compare anon.

landa

wide

landa (2) adj. "wide" (LAD). Maybe in landatavárë = *"wide-wood"? (TI:415)

linyenwa

old, having many years

linyenwa adj. "old, having many years" (YEN)

palla

wide, expansive

palla adj. "wide, expansive" (PAL)

rama-

to shout

rama- vb. "to shout" (LT1:259)

rambë

shout

rambë noun "a shout" (LT1:259)

ringë

cold

ringë adj. "cold", also ringa (which form is to be preferred; cf. Ringarë in LotR). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, ringë is also given as a noun "cold pool or lake (in mountains)", but according to VT46:11 this noun should read ringwë. (RINGI)

selyë

daughter

[selyë noun "daughter", used in children's play for "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" _(VT47:10, 15, VT48:4) _It is unclear whether it was the word selyë "daughter" itself that was rejected, or just its use as a play-name of a digit. Compare yeldë, yendë.]

yeldë

daughter

yeldë noun "daughter" (YEL) This word was struck out in Etym, but it may have been restored together with the ending -iel, q.v.

yen

daughter

yen, yendë noun "daughter" (YŌ/YON). This word replaced another form, but this form may have been restored; see yeldë. In VT45:16, yendë is said to refer to a female "agent", a word changed by Tolkien from yendi, but Tolkien deleted all of this.

yerna

old, worn

yerna adj. "old, worn" (GYER)

yonda

wide, roomy, extensive

yonda adj."wide, roomy, extensive" (PE17:43), also (as alternative form of yonna) glossed "enclosed", with the latter meaning perhaps intended as the passive participle of the verb yor-

anel

noun. daughter

A transient word for “daughter” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, written of above the more common sel-de (PE17/170).

enderi

collective name. middle-days

The name used for leap-days added to the various calendar systems of Middle-earth (LotR/1108, 1112). It is a compound of endë “middle” and the suffixal form -re of ré “day”: ✱enderë “middle-day” pluralized to enderi.

Conceptual Development: In the 1st edition of The Lord of the Rings, a similar term atendëa was used.

enwina

adjective. old

hríve

noun. winter

ier

preposition. *as

niquë

noun. cold, cold; [ᴹQ.] snow

sívë

preposition. *as

í(qua), illume, iquallume

conjunction. when, whenever

hollë

noun. shout

malumë

adverb. when

nairë

noun. space (as a physical dimension)